You got me in chains
by SilverLine3
Summary: Stefan is lost & tired of the world, way too exhausted to keep the things slipping away from the grip. The sun looks too blinding to him & his first thought is to get repelled when he meet the stranger in the middle of nowhere. She is crazy & he doesn't do ybe 1 night of sunshine is what he needs,few moments with Caroline Forbes is all that is needed to make him laugh...
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Prompt by give-me-tvd on tumblr to write a movie fic. and this one is based on a movie called Jab We Met! I reaally hope you all will enjoy this one. finger crossed :)

* * *

The world looks collapsing on him, dragging him into the pit of the Earth. He can feel the burning fire all around himself. Only if the fire could have been real and not a metaphorical joke of his life. The echoing noise surrounding him is loud, but it has been blocked by his ears, as if his brain has developed its own defensive mechanism, filtering out anything and everything. His eyes goes to the person sitting on his right side, arguing notably with the other members of the board. Tall, slim and straight long blonde hair, she has such a strong aura that she could win any battle. Alexia Branson has been his friend for a very long time, the period which he never counted. If she wanted she could have had landed herself the best job of the world. But, there she is, stuck with him, trying to save the company he sank into the depth of the ocean.

Stefan had never thought that his world will turn upside down like this, blowing away everything he tried to build for so long. His eyes drifts towards his left side to the lawyer trying to logic about the share percent his mother, Lily Salvatore owns in the company. She wore the white corporate suit for the occasion, and Stefan wants to laugh at the choice of the color of his mother. How ironic is that, the color white belongs to angels, and he once considered her his angel, the only person for whom he would do anything. He thought that things can become gold, and all his pain can go away just by the blowing kiss of his mother. But, he can't blame a ten year old to think like that. He blames the twenty- five year old Stefan though, the one who knew how important the company was for his father, and couldn't keep his head straight to run a mere business. He shouldn't have had let his mother be the part of something his life belonged to. She has never been the one who sticks. Because he has seen her leaving him behind, leaving his father behind to start her new life. Lily's eyes met his son's, and she gives him a smile, the one she always have for him and the one which he never responds to. He never realizes when he stands on his place, and his legs start to walk, taking off from the conference room. When he walks out of the room, nobody bothers to stop him, or at least that's what he thinks, when he shoves off the security guards on his way to his car.

His mind is all over the place, when he reaches the parking garage, and unlocks his red Porsche. He just wants to drive and go away from the whole mess his life has become. But, he ends up at the doorstep of the big mansion, the one which looks like the Palace of Beverly Hills.

"Don't…" The word flows in his brain, but his legs have their own thoughts and so he comes out of his car, and let himself inside the house. The well dressed people are scattered all around him, talking and enjoying the glass of champagne. Everyone is so busy that nobody notices his presence. Or maybe it's his business suit, that he camouflaged with them so familiarity of the house is mocking on his face. How many times he had ran on that staircase in front of him, and skipped the steps, falling on his face. He should have been accustomed to falling and tripping and getting bruised, but there is a difference between physical and mental bruises. Physical pain goes away, while emotional one makes a residence and keeps on making a hole inside your heart, making it a inhabitant place for anyone else to stay. The reception looks like a hit, and it's definitely going to be a headline news. After all it's Damon Salvatore's marriage reception. Damon Salvatore, the brother he would have done anything for. Even though Damon was Stefan's cousin, he always looked up to him. And after her mother left him, Damon was the one who became the best of the friends for him. And today is his marriage reception, while for Stefan, it's his doom's day. The funny thing is how everything slipped from his hands, and how his own girlfriend decided to dump him and marry Damon instead.

Stefan looks at the bride. The beautiful and gorgeous Elena Gilbert, who is shining in her delicately designed white backless gown. She laughs radiantly on some joke the person next to them cracks. The flawless eyelashes on her doe eyes flutter in the process, making her cheeks go red. And Damon laughs with her as well, as if he is the happiest man alive on Earth. Stefan curses in anger boiling inside of him. It was supposed to be him beside her, because Damon never wanted to be settled and get married. But, Elena chose his brother over him. And why wouldn't she? Who would have chosen a failure like Stefan Salvatore? The thought always haunts him these days.

The laughs and giggles slowly fades away from Elena's face, when she spots him. He walks towards them, standing on the center stage. Damon looks like he has been holding his breath for a long time now. But, Stefan didn't say anything to release his brother's anxiety.

"Stefan." Elena is the first one to break the awkward silence starting to engulf them. "You came." she smiles at him, thinking that he will do the same. He didn't. Stefan looks at Damon, who tries to smile as well, but even he doesn't get the response.

"Hey brother." Damon greets him in his usual way. "Glad you are here."

Stefan wants to raise his eyebrows at him. But he didn't. He digs in the pocket of his pants, for his car's key. And when he finds it, he keeps it in the palms of Damon's hands.

"Is this your Porsche's key?" Damon asks in confusion, but he didn't get any reply.

 _Take it away from me, because I don't want anything that reminds me of you._

Stefan wants to say this, but he is too tired to move the muscles in his mouth. It was the gift from Stefan on his eighteenth birthday, and after his dad died, Damon was someone who took care of him, in his own way anyway. And by that, it means taking Stefan in strip club or bars, and booze. He introduced him to the fun part of the life, and just like that, snatched it away as well.

Stefan turned around to walk away from them. But to where exactly, he still didn't know. He heard his name in the air. It must be Damon calling him, he thought. However, he didn't bother to turn around and check. Because he didn't care anymore. And, because he was exhausted now. On the way out, he takes one last look at his car parked in the lot.

The streets of Los Angeles feels narrow and claustrophobic to him, but that doesn't stops him from walking. His hands reaches towards his tie, loosening it, and throwing it away in the trash. And one by one, he drops away his Rolex watch, his blue crystal ring. Before trashing it out, he looks at it closely, this is his family ring, the one which has been a tradition to wear. There is one with Damon as well, and there is one which he prepared for Elena, but now that one is sitting in the drawer of his closet. The ring slips away from his fingers, because there is no family anymore for him. He has ruined everything, and now nothing should matter.

The green, and red and yellow lights hits him that he is standing across the junction now. From the public, he could guess that it's a bus station, and every thought comes rushing in his head, and everything starts to sink in a split second. His eyes see the bus coming from the opposite direction, but the walk sign is still off. Doesn't matter to him, because nothing will matter in few seconds. His body moves forward, getting ready to surrender to the failures, to just quit the life. His eyes shut when the bus is close to him, but he feels like instead of moving forwards towards the road, he has been moved 180 degrees, and away from the road.

He opens his eyes, still thinking that he would be dead by now, and he won't feel any pain anymore. However, he is blinded by the bright light in front of him.

He looks at the person in front of him, and his ears are numb, but when he sees her lips moving, he figures that she is talking to him. The girl in her yellow tank top, and cotton shorts, waving her hands in front of his eyes, snapping her fingers, and that is the moment he hears her talking for the first time.

"Helloooo? Are you even listening?" Her high pitched voice is clear and crystal in his ears now. "What were you doing in between the road by the way?"

Stefan continues to stare at her.

"Are you deaf? Or mute?" The anger from before transforms into a concern. "Or are you just rude in not replying."

He didn't respond, and walks passed her.

"Hey!" she turns around as well, following on his tail. "I was talking to you…. Maybe you ARE deaf." She hops in front of him, making him stop abruptly. "Can you lip read? I am sure you can. Well anyways you shouldn't be standing in the middle of roads. You might have had ended up in an accidents."

He ignores her, and in the process of doing so, just start walking into the bus.

"Can I see your ticket please?" The conductor blocks his way, asking him in the rudest way possible.

"Hey, cool your water down. He will give it to you. He is deaf, and mute and can't hear you." He heard the same girl arguing on his behalf. Maybe it's in her nature to talk with anyone on her way. "You can ask politely as-"

"I don't have any ticket." Before the girl could have said anything more to irk the conductor, he spoke for himself.

Her eyes went wide when she heard him talking. She looks at the conductor standing on the other side, and laughs embarrassingly. "Well, is it magic or what!" she continues laughing. "So, anyways, let me be honest with you and tell you the truth. He had some family issues and so couldn't get any time to buy one, you know. But, in any case I am sure there must be one seat available on this bus."

The conductor looks at the list of the names on his chart, and she couldn't help but peek into the list.

"Soooooo, are you convinced or should I talk more?" She smiled widely when the conductor gives her a weird look.

"Where do you want to go?" The conductor questions Stefan still looking down at his list. Stefan's mind is all over the place and he didn't pay attention to what they said at that moment.

"Hey… I am talking to you. Where do you want to go?" Now it looks the conductor has been irritated by him. Great, now he has angered one more person, he thought.

"What's the last stop?"

"Excuse me?" Stefan's answer feels odd to him.

"Nevada." The girl jumps into the conversation once again. "He is going to Nevada."

"It will be seventy bucks."

He gave him two fifty bills, and without taking the twenty back, walks into the bus.

"I will give it to him." He hears the girl talking to the conductor.

He takes one of the seat, and when she comes and sits beside him, he sighs in exhaustion.

"So, what's the matter?" she nudges him, striking for his attention, but he didn't give any.

"Are you-" she lowers her voice and whispers, "on crack or something." He keeps her head down, trying to block her voice away. Praying that she won't talk now, but she continues anyways.

"So, I have lived for about four years in LA. I know exciting, right! But, my hometown is Mystic Falls. But how would you know where it is. So let me tell you, it's a small town in Virginia. Yeah, yeah I am a small town girl, and have never stayed away for so long from my friends and family over there. But, I wanted to see the world, and build my career, so I came straight to California. Although, I did build a life here, you know. I always wanted to visit places, and this was my dream coming true opportunity. I have been staying in the dorms, and that's where I bumped into Tyler. He is my boyfriends by the way. He used to crash in my room, and in all those hangouts, we fell for each other. By the way, did I said my name? I don't think I did. I am Caroline… Caroline Forbes." The girl with blonde messy curls, brings her hand forward, the gesture to which he should have responded to, but instead, he just stares at her hand. She takes it back.

It's not like that made her stop talking.

"So, is there a problem in your life, need a remedy? Come on, tell me. I am like those girls on the magazine who can solve your problems in seconds. I am reeeeallly good in this, you know. Just try me. Come, one tell me what's the problem?"

Her continuous chatter breaks his patience, and when he bursts, it's never good for anyone. "OH MY GOD!" His hands goes to his head, trying to calm his nerves down, but now the dam has been broken. "YOU… you are my problem. You have been non-stop talking in my ear like the crawling bug from the moment we have met. I don't care where you have been born, or why you came to this city, or if you live in a dorm, or in a brothel or anywhere else. I… DON'T… CARE."

He sees her smiling face turning into a question mark, and he realizes that he went too far in his frustrated speech.

"Why would I be in a brothel?" The question is innocent and he repents to say it even more.

"I am sorry, I… shouldn't have said that." He apologizes instantly, but she cuts him off.

"Yeah, well, clearly there is something that has affected you so much and you have been in such a state now, and I can see that your head is all over the place. So, a reaction like yours is all natural. So, take a chill pill, there is no worries."

Chill pill. He wonders if people in 21st century even talk like this.

"But, I am not angry at you. Actually, now that I think about it, I am never in a bad mood nowadays. How could I be? After all I am in love…. "And she doesn't stop and he sighs in panic. The moments hits him hard and he realizes that he is stuck with her for the whole journey.

"…. So obviously when he proposed me, I was gonna say yes, duh. Tyler is the love of my life. And if it's that one true love, you just knows it in your heart. And Tyler is the one for me. But, he is a Lockwood, you know. Family feud, and all. Like its long time back. You would think, they would be over this by now, but nope, they still believe in that old historical fight, and are bitter about it. You know what, that's why I have decided to just go for it and marry him, and then just hug my parents. I am their Care bear, how long will they be angry with me. I can bet it won't even last for a hour." she starts to laugh, and he can feel the headache reaching the saturation limit.

Stefan closes his eyes, thinking that it's over now, and he can better go to sleep, before she starts to talk again.

"By the way, how do you feel about mountains?"

Too late! His brain turns on the siren, when she asks the question. He thinks to ignore her. Turns out to be bad option anyway.

"I will tell you my opinion." she continues, "I LOOOOOVE Mountains. I have this dream to build a house and stay there, for my whole life, with winter and snow all around me." He opens his eyes to make her stop talking, but the glow in her eyes lit her like the magic ball of fire, and the words chokes in his throat.

"However, I love summer more. I mean, I will get it in Wisconsin, but it won't be the same like of Florida or Virginia, you know. Let me think what should I chose? Summer… or Winter" she brings her hands in front of her, weighing the two invisible options. "You know what? Doesn't matter which one. I will go anywhere in the world, if Tyler is with me. Just some clothes, and a curler iron, and I am all… set!"

* * *

 _"So, this is my son, Stefan… the future of my business."_

 _Stefan and his dad were standing in the middle of the hall, in his giant house party with the executives. All the big shots were present, and he had to be on his good behaviour. He shook his hand with Mr. Mikaelson._

 _"Glad to finally meet you Stefan."_

 _"Same here."_

 _"So, when are you joining the company?"_

 _"I don't know, whenever I will be ready." Stefan replied hesitantly. He looked towards his father, who was patting his shoulder with proud emotions. He had to talk to his father soon._

 _"Well, you are ready Stefan. You have always been. And since you have finished your MBA, I think there is no better day than today to join us, Stefan." Stefan gulped smiling nervously. "Attention to everyone…" Giuseppe started to speak to the whole room. "Today, my son is officially joining us."_

 _Stefan stood there, the words trying to reach out of his vocal cord, but couldn't. The look at his father's face was too much for him._

 _Thus, he smiled back at every person present around him._

 _"So… did you talked to him?" Lexi was on the other end of the phone._

 _"Nope."_

 _"Why?"_

 _"You should have seen his face when he announced that I am joining him in his company."_

 _"But, you are not into this management and business stuff." Lexi was kind of his persistent friend, she was not going to back off without a fight._

 _"No, but there is no harm in joining today, and if I didn't like it I can leave it anytime."_

 _"FIIINE… do whatever you want."_

 _"Stefan… are you okay?"_

 _"I am fine." He said grimly, when Lexi came inside his room. He had been busy packing his duffel bag with the essentials._

 _"Stefan-"_

 _"I said I am fine." Stefan looked at her finally, and with one look in her eyes, he felt that breath he had been holding for so long coming out of his mouth. He didn't want to break, but things were not working as he planned. "I should have been home, I should have been here, and I could have had-"_

 _"Saved him? No, Stefan…. it was the heart- attack. It wasn't in your hand."_

 _Stefan sighed and closed his eyes to get away from the pain of losing his family, his father._

 _"He was in pain, while I was out there, celebrating the birthday. And I don't even like birthdays."_

 _"Stefan, you have to be strong."_

 _"I have to go, and sign the deal."_

 _"So, you are taking over the company as the boss?"_

 _Stefan stares at her for a second before nodding his head. "Yes… Yes I am."_

 _"But, this wasn't your dream."_

 _"It is dad's dream. Anything else…. doesn't matter."_

 _Lexi, left him alone, with his thoughts and no one else. He fell flat on his back on the bed, staring at the roof. His eyes slowly dropping close, but there is no dream now. It's just the shadow of loneliness and sorrow wrapping him in its grasp._

* * *

His eyes opens, with the sudden announcement in the bus. Till the date, he still doesn't have any dreams when he sleeps. His forehead creases with confusion when the mumbled words make their way into his ears. He slightly turn his head to his right, and finds the source

He is astonish to see the girl and her non-stop chatter. How can someone talk even in their sleep? He wonders how she is getting all this energy to even talk.

"I was about to… go in a plane, but all planes were booked. So I am taking the long way, because I have to be there… with them."

.

The bus stops near an exit, for the break, half an hour break, and in the same stop, he walks out on her mumbles.

Ironically, he finds the most abandoned table, and takes a seat over there. His dry-cleaned and well pressed suit has been rigged, and still he doesn't care. For a second, a thought passes his mind, about the place where he is, but then how will it matter any differently. He has ruined every damn thing in his life, and nothing can make it any better.

"Hey, the bus will leave you if you won't come back you know." The same voice crawls over the walls around him. He is shocked to see her standing in front of him. Did she just walked out of the bus to call him back? His eyes stared at her back, a little agitated for not leaving him alone.

"Come on… the bus will leave us. I came all over here to call you back." she was fidgeting at her place in tension. Stefan takes his eyes off of her, making it clear that he ain't going anywhere with her, nor taking that bus again. He hears her breaths going uneven.

"You know what?…. Go to hell!" The shouts makes him deaf for few seconds, when she sees her running towards her bus. The guilt in the pit of his stomach hits him hard. He shouldn't have acted in that way, the rude and uncaring Stefan Salvatore. When did he became like this?

* * *

 _"So, what are we doing here again?" The music around him is so loud that he couldn't hear his voice coming from his own mouth._

 _"WE are celebrating!"_

 _"And what are we celebrating?" Stefan asks his cousin, who has dragged him into a pub._

 _"Your birthday, my little brother."_

 _"By coming to a pub?"_

 _"What's to hate here? Booze- yes, girls… yesss!" Damon wiggles his eyebrows and pulling Stefan from his elbow into the pub. "Or… only booze, if you are… you know… into guys."_

 _"You think?" Stefan mocks his brother back. He isn't in a mood of celebrating a birthday. He never got the point of being happy for getting closer to being old, and closer to their death date._

 _"Look, Stefan this is your eighteenth birthday. You won't turn eighteenth every year. So… enjoy the experience." "Also, it is just not any club… it's a strip club."_

 _Stefan's eyes went wide to let in the information and watched around himself. He was standing there… for real._

 _"I am in a strip club." Stefan was half lost._

 _"Yes."_

 _"But, I am just eighteen, and I shouldn't be here."_

 _"Nope."_

 _"But, I am still here!"_

 _"Yupppp"_

 _"Dad will kill me if he finds out."_

 _"Probably."_

 _Neither of them were walking out of the place, but standing there glued to their position._

 _"You're welcome, by the way." Damon throws the welcome card on him._

 _"For what?"_

 _"For giving you one story of wild experience to tell your friends."_

 _"Uh… thanks then."_

 _"Now, just come on let's enjoy, we have to go for a long drive in your Porsche after this as well." Damon dragged him once again, but this time Stefan had a blushing smile on his face._

 _"Wait! What Porsche?"_

 _"It's the car Stefan."_

 _"I KNOW what a Porsche is Damon. I don't have a Porsche."_

 _"WRONG! You didn't have had a Porsche… But you have one… now." Damon jiggles the keys in his fingers, and throws it towards him._

 _"You… you are gifting me a car?" Stefan smiled widely at his brother._

 _"Again… Stefan, you are welcome."_

 _Stefan laughed, mumbling a thanks to him. He had a brother who was his best friend as well. He couldn't be luckier than that…_

/\/\/\

 _"We need to talk" Damon entered his room, but he stopped him._

 _"I don't want to… go away."_

 _"This wasn't supposed to happen like this"_

 _"Really? So what other ways were there for this to happen, Damon?" Stefan crossed his arms in front of him, and stared at the person from whom he just wanted to run away. "My brother who have been my brother for twenty-five years of my life fell in love with my girlfriend, and she lets him. So tell me this… should I not be bitter for this?"_

 _"You have all the right to be angry-"_

 _"I hate you." Stefan blurted it out in the lost sense due to the alcohol he consumed before. "Stay out of my ways from now on brother…. if that is what you think of me."_

 _"I will talk to you once you are sober." Damon left him alone, in his room._

 _That was the day, when he figured how alone the world is for him, and how fake the love can be. His mother left him and his father for some other guy, and Damon took away his girlfriend._

 _His whole life is a mess….._

* * *

"YOU!" she shouts from far away, running towards him. "The bus left me…" her eyes are wide in anger. "The bus just left… and I am here… standing, and chatting with you. AND it's all because of you!" her finger points directly at him.

"Hey… I didn't tell you to come out of the bus okay."

"Wow… I can't believe this. A) I didn't came out of the bus to eat fresh air, okay. I came for you. Because I was worried about YOU! And B) well, if I have to let my bus go away, I would have brought my luggage with me as well."

Her wide eyes becomes even wider when her own words starts to sink in. "Oh my god…. OH MY GOD… OH MY GOD… my luggage is in the bus, my wallet, my purse, my phone… oh my…" her hands tries to keep her head straight, but she is too panicky now. "I don't even have a single penny in my pocket to make a call."

Stefan looks at her frightened posture, walking back and forth. "And you… instead of saying a thanks to me, you are showing me attitude."

"What do you want from me?" Stefan is way too tired to fight with this girl.

"Oh… what I WANT? I want you to take me to the bus, so that I can catch, and I can go to my damn destination… and IF you think I will leave your side before that… then you are wrong Mr.…. I am Caroline Forbes, for god's sake. AND I will haunt you until you take me back to my luggage OKAY!"

Stefan breathes out the air loudly… even a cool beer won't help him taking away the headache she is giving him. And he curses the moment he met her… the moment they met!

* * *

A/N : So, how did you liked it so far? Let me know your reviews :) Love you all


	2. Chapter 2

"So, are you taking me or not?" she rests her hand on either side of her hips, and stares at him.

Stefan looks around himself, but the place seems pretty abandoned to him, with three or four workers on the food counter.

"Now, don't go deaf on me again, okay."

Only if she could stop talking and his head can be free of her constant chatter to think of a way to get her bags.

"Hey, I am talking to YOU and not to those empty chairs over here!" She pointed to the tables around them.

He started to walk again, but she wasn't stopping to talk. And it was driving him crazy. "Will you just…. " He turned around to face her, almost venting the anger out, but he closes his eyes, and counts to ten before finishing his sentence. "Can you stop talking for a second. And let me see what I can do."

The Gas station looks like it has been abandoned for ages now. And he wonders if such places still exists in United States. But, how will he know about it. After all, he has never came out of his lavishing world ever before. The only times he went on a road trip was when Damon came to his university and dragged him for it.

* * *

 _"What are you doing here?" Stefan was a little tired from his study schedule and seeing his cousin brother standing in his dorm room, took him in a shock._

 _"What? I can't come to visit my little brother?" The wide grin came on Damon's face, and he pulled his brother in a hug._

 _"Damon… please don't do that ever again."_

 _"Do what?"_

 _"Hug me.. I don't do hugs and all."  
"I know… and you should know by now, that how much I love irritating you." Damon put his hands on his shoulder and tapped it twice. "So, start packing." He threw a duffel bag towards him._

 _"Uh, where are we going?"_

 _"what can be better than a road trip to take your mind off from all the stress you have been having recently."_

 _"A road trip?"_

 _"Yup!"_

 _"But-"_

 _"No if and no but, now chop-chop, and pack. Also, if you want to take some hot undergrad chicks… I am all in. The girls in Stanford are kinda hottt." Damon wiggled his brows and gave his usual Damon smile._

 _"Damon… it's illegal. You know that, right?"_

 _"What is illegal?"_

 _"You hitting on the underage girls."_

 _"And when did I said I am a saint."_

 _"Damon-" Stefan's warning tone shut Damon up, but he did dragged him for an outing that weekend._

 _/\/\_

 _"Vegas! We are going to Vegas!" He saw the history of Damon's ipad, with the booking in Hotel Caesar._

 _"Yup, we are going to party and play poker like hell."_

 _"I am still nineteen Damon."_

 _"Not according to your I.D." Damon passed him his fake I.D. and according to that, Stefan was a twenty-five year old._

 _"Really? Twenty-five!"_

 _"What, you kinda look like a twenty-five."_

 _Stefan didn't say anything, and just smiled in the wilderness of the blowing wind, that swept through him in the blue Camri of Damon._

 _"You can thank me later."_

 _Stefan chuckled on Damon. His ways have always been wild, but maybe he needed some fun in his life._

* * *

"What the hell are you looking for?" Caroline was right behind him, still her voice being high pitched and pricking his ear.

He didn't answer her, and heads straight to the only car standing at corner.

"We have to reach Lancaster to the bus which she missed. So, can you give us a ride?" Stefan couldn't say what the driver is actually thinking. By the looks, the person looks like he is in his late fifties, and Stefan isn't good with that age group.

"I am not going in that direction, man." The guy said in a bored tone.

"I will pay you five hundred bucks for it." Stefan's statement makes the guy's ears perk up, and that is exact moment when the blonde catches up with him.

"What are you waiting for then? Hop in." Stefan starts to walk towards the passenger seat, when she calls him back.

"Where are we going?" She asks him cautiously.

"Lancaster. The bus will be there, if we drive straight to the place you can catch it."

The wide eye popping her blue eyes out, and the excitement on her face makes it sure to Stefan that now she has totally forgotten about the worries, just in few seconds.

Unfortunate for them though, the traffic is taking a toll on them.

/\/\

"Can't you drive a little faster?"

"I am going with the traffic speed."

"We can easily change the lane and go." Stefan hears the girl saying desperately from the backseat.

"I am not breaking the speed limit."

"We are not even close to the speed limit."

The guy just ignores her, and keeps on driving.

"Is he insane?" Her whispers reaches the corner of his ear, and he tilts his head slightly on his left. "He is totally insane. We are so not gonna reach there on time." She whines and buries herself deep into her seat.

"I am paying you."

"To take you to the place, and we will reach there. Just not on time to catch the bus."

"Can you pullover in the next exit?" Stefan hands are continuously staying on his head, massaging it, trying to calm himself down.

"What? why?" She keeps asking him but it's like she is talking to a wall when he doesn't reply. "We are already going so slow, and now you are delaying it even more!"

The constant blabber continues, when they stop in the exit, and Stefan comes out of the car.

"What?" The guy was confused at Stefan's behaviour, and when Stefan pushed him to his extreme right, he couldn't get what he is trying to do.

But, when Stefan drives the car in the way which will make it look like flying across the street, the driver was taken aback in the whole drive.

* * *

 _"Slow. it. down."_

 _"Come on, Stefan, chill a bit. Racing is fun."_

 _"I am not a fan of speed."_

 _"Weren't you a Dracula in last year's Halloween?"_

 _"No… I was James Dean. Now will you slow it down or not?"_

 _"Not!"_

 _"Damon-"_

 _"Fiiinne… stop being such a bore, or else your girlfriend will run away."_

 _"Elena isn't going anywhere."_

 _"Confident huh?"_

 _"Pretty much."_

 _"Things changes, brother."_

 _"We will see…"_

 _Damon didn't reply anything on the matter in concern._

 _"Next time… remind me to not go in a road trip.. with anyone." Stefan was already panicked by the almost crash they were going to get into with the jeep on their side._

* * *

In the midst of the swirling winds on the bus station, the whole place looks abandoned. It is almost midnight, and to see the only bus standing there, relaxes him because it's the same bus she missed. After all, they finally made it on time, however fast their hearts were beating because of the race they did with the time.

"Are you nuts… you might have had killed us all." The guy looked as if he had came out of a life-death situation. "Just give me my money, and GO"

"Can I borrow some money as well. I need water." She asks him with her panting voice. She wasn't running, but the drive was crazy. Stefan has a bundle of cash, luckily he didn't left his wallet, or dropped it on the road when he was letting everything go away into the pit.

"Thanks, I will return you in the bus." Stefan stares at her for a moment, wondering if she still thinks that he is going to take the bus. He could see her diminishing body, and totally out of his sight once she is behind the glass door of the station building.

"You shouldn't keep this much money with you. Someone might mug you in this neighborhood."

Stefan turns around to look at the guy, apparently counting each dollar bill in his hand, his sticky fingers doing its work.

Stefan didn't reply and walks away in the loneliness of the dark night. He doesn't care if someone comes and put a stake in his heart. He might stop feeling anything, and it should be a good thing. For a while his head was out of the twisted, and ruined life he had been living for such a long time. But, now once the girl is gone, his head has started to go back to the shreds of his messed up existence. His mind stops at her though. Even though she bugged him with her constant babbles, she did took his mind out of all the worries he was surrounded by a few hours ago.

Caroline… He remembers the name, and like the telepathy, the voice makes its way and surfaces around him. At first, the voice was like the hint of the chimes in the air, but it kept on increasing the tempo, and when he turns around he could clearly see her walking at first and then running towards him.

"Oh my god, you are here!" she gasps, as if she found her way back home, and scratching away the line of fear on her forehead. "Thank you thank you thank you." she keeps on mumbling the words, when in the span of that moment, her arms fly in air and reaches towards his neck, engulfing him in her bear hug.

"You missed the bus _again_?" Stefan couldn't believe this girl in front of him. Who misses their bus twice in the single day?

"You have no idea how much happy you have made me by being here. I have never been so happy in my entire life to see anyone, like I have been right now after seeing you." she lets him go from her embrace.

"And You brought a joker with you, as well?" His eyes goes straight on the guy who was following her all the way down to them. By the looks of that guy, and the way he walked, he didn't look like he was in his proper senses. Stefan sighs in exhaustion, worries following the temper. Drunkards in the middle of the night are not good for her, or for any girl.

"He followed me from the station. Nevermind he is gone anyways."

"And you missed the bus because?" he prompts her to tell him more, because he is totally confuse.

The nervous laugh leaves her lips, when she tucks her hair behind her right ear. "I was wrestling with the vending machine, and then I was so engrossed into satisfying my thirst that I-" she sees him frowning at her and stops in the middle. "What?"

"By wrestling you mean?"

"Ugh, don't you know these vending machines. They eat your money and laughs at you."

"You know that vending machine is just an object… a non-living object to be specific. They don't walk or laugh."

"Oh they do. You have to see them very closely, and when you do, you can see their mouths opening in giant laughs, that too a devil one."

Her reasonings were even more illogical than the way she has been behaving. "So, you missed the bus because you were busy fighting with the vending machine!"

"Hey, it was _two_ dollars okay. Money doesn't grow on trees. But, I did won and got the bottle." she announces with a proud pat on her back.

"Which costed you in missing the bus."

"And whose fault is that? I mean I agree I missed it right now, but I was out of that bus because of you at the first place."

Stefan raises an eyebrow at her, amused at how she was turning the tables on him.

"So, what I am trying to say is, you are taking me home. I am not leaving you before that."

His frowns deepens when he tries to understand her.

"Now start walking, you can give me the looks and walk at the same time you know." she walks forwards

"What looks?" he follows her.

"The one you are giving me right now." She turns around to face him. "By the way, do you even have a name, or should I just keep calling you Mr. Broody?"

"I didn't hear you calling me that."

"I have been…calling you that… in my head. So…"

Stefan chuckles at her silliness. After a long time, which feels to him like his entire life, he feels like something lifted up from his heart. "Stefan…"

"Stefan…" she grins widely, and shakes her hand. "Nice to meet you Stefan. And I am Caroline."

"I know… you mentioned earlier."

"Oh so you did listen to me."

"You are kind of an antique, you know that right? The museum kind, the one of a kind."

"Ha-ha. Talk about yourself. I mean, is there any invisible clips on your eyebrows, keeping them frowned all the time?"

Stefan licks his lips, trying to keep his smile away. Crazy or not, she did have a way of keeping people's head away from the stress. " What about your bags?"

"I talked with the bus services, and they told me they will keep all my luggage in the locker room in Nevada. So, we will take the bus in the morning and then straight to Nevada, and then home."

"So, you have planned everything."

"Pretty much."

"But what's the deal with you. Like this street is so abandoned, and then I see you walking like a dead man."

"Says the girl who is stuck on the same streets as well."

"Wow, so you do can speak."

Stefan looks at her, and thinks the same. "I can… I just like to keep to myself. Anyways, we should look for some place to stay."

"I can see one motel in front of me. Let's just stay over there for few hours and then come back."

"Caroline…" Stefan frowns again at the place in front of him. "I don't feel like we should go inside." There is something off about the place, and he could sense it.

"Why?"

"I don't know. The place looks weird to me."

"Don't be so picky. Come on." She grabs his hand and drags him into the entrance.

* * *

"You wanna know the hourly rate or per night rates?"

When the front desk asked him the question, his doubts were clear. The place did gave an off feeling to him. And the way he was checking Caroline out, was boiling the blood inside him.

"Per night." the stern look on his face could make anyone fear him at that moment.

"Why?" Caroline jumps into the conversation without any hesitation. "We will take it by hourly charges"

"Caroline, let me talk okay."

"Yeah, and you are doing hell of a talk here. Instead of saving the money, you are like wasting it."

"So, as I was saying." she turns around to talk with the front desk herself. "You can give us the room for few hours."

"How many hours?"

"What do you think, how much time is enough for us?"

"Caroline-"

"I think three?"

"Caroline-"

"Or four?

"I think three is enough."

"Caroline-"

"But, for the safe side we should keep it for four. Anyways we will be done by that time."

"Do you even know what you are talking about?"

"I am trying to bargain here, now let me deal with this okay."

Stefan couldn't believe her, couldn't believe that she really didn't understand what was happening there. And what other meanings were getting deduced by others. Somehow, the image in front of him makes a way of the little involuntary smile on his lips. He sees her talking and negotiating the deal which she has been calling it in a hush voice to him.

He felt like the night is never ending, but didn't feel bad like it did few hours back.

* * *

Stefan completes the payment and goes to the room, where he already had sent Caroline to. He shouldn't have expected much, but this is worst. The whole room with red satin drapes all around, making it look like coming out straight from the porno and that too the Aladdin porno.

He sees her sitting in the middle of the bed, look straight at him.

"You never know what you talk, do you?" He looks at crossing the room and standing right next to the wall, the lips curling into tiny smile."Anyways, you can take the bed, I will be on the couch."

"I have a black belt in kung fu." The reply to his suggestion was off the topic and it makes him confuse.

"o-kay."

"Yeah… yeah I can do a good kung used to fear me in my college."

"But, why are you telling me this?"

"I am just saying, you know, just an information to be on the table."

"Wait, are you telling me this because, IF I tried to rape you or did something without your consent, then you will knock me out?"

"No, I am just saying this, because previously I hugged you, and I don't want to give any other impression. There must be a lot of those chicks in the city, who would be all over you, but I am not like that. I am a one- man- woman. And I already have my man, Tyler." The wide grin automatically comes on her face just by her boyfriend's name.

Stefan could clearly see the light brightening up in her eyes, and he chuckles in the process. "Well, don't worry I will not make any attempt on you."

"You can't do it!"

"I don't want to do it!"

"Even if you want, you can't do it."

"Are you charging me up so that I would rape you ?"

"No I was just clearing things out."

"well, FYI I am also a one-woman-man." His hands find its way in his back pocket, bringing out the wallet, the one which still had Elena's photograph.

The wide eyed Caroline, completely jumps out of the bed, and snatches the wallet to have a clear look. "Wow, she is so… gorgeous. I mean, the hair, the doe eyes, and the dress. Wow, I mean the dress is totally bringing out the color of her eyes." She looks back at him, still smiling and hands him over the wallet. "Lucky you, Mr. Broody."

"Yeah… not so much." His heads falls down to the photograph in his hand. The ghost of the post haunting him once again.

"Oh…" The smile on her face falters away, as if she senses the pangs of pain inside him. "So, she is the one because of whom you have been walking like a zombie."

Stefan couldn't think of any other answer, and just smiles sadly.

After a second or two, like a flick of a lamp bulb, her eyes brightens with an idea. "Do you have a matchstick?"

"What?"

"DO you have it or not?"

"uh, yeah."

"Awesome. So now take this photograph and burn it"

"What.. no." He has no idea what she was trying to say.

"Come on, do it."

"But this is-"

"Crazy… yeah I know. See she ditched you and now you do the same. do crazy, it will feel good. Trust me. Stefan." Maybe it was something in her eyes, or something in the way she called his name, but his brain had already functioning of thinking in what she was asking him to do.

"Do it… come on, JUST BURN THE BITCH."

And he did the exactly same thing., and waited for her because he still hasn't started processing what his hands were actually working on.

"Now go the washroom, and flush it. Like the obedient kid, he did exactly as she asked for.

The soothing sensation inside his heart, balming and spreading through the veins, hits his brain. "It actually is feeling good."

"See I told you. My ideas are can never be bad." "And don't worry, you will meet someone amazing. There are million girls out there, and well, you are you, so you can find ANYONE. To be honest, this girl was really bland in front of you. I mean, look at me! If I wouldn't have found the love of my life, I probably might have been crushing on you. OMG, just imagine."

He chuckles, thinking that when did he stopped worrying about the day he had been having just in the morning of yesterday. "You love yourself.. don't you?"

"Yup…. I am my favorite person in the world."

"Sure you are." He has smiled more just in one day with her, than he had done in the past few months, or years… he doesn't even remember. "Go take some rest, we have to leave early in the morning."

He falls on the couch, and closes his eyes, still internally laughing at the crazy girl he has been stuck with since yesterday.


End file.
